


Flash

by debwalsh



Series: Bingo-Bingo [28]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Angel Bucky Barnes, Bingo, Fictober 2019, M/M, Steve Rogers & Thor Friendship, Stucky Bingo, Tattoo Artist Steve Rogers, au bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-23 21:55:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20896715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/debwalsh/pseuds/debwalsh
Summary: Earthbound Angel Bucky Barnes has been searching for the right artist to free his wings for centuries.  Millennia, in fact.How surprised is he to find himself drawn to a tattoo shop of all things, and one run by an old friend, the Norse god of Thunder?Shocked is the least of his emotions when Bucky Barnes meets tattoo artist Steve Rogers.My patron requested requested a tattoo / flower shop AU from the list of prompts I’d provided, and this is what was born.





	1. Child of Heaven

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kiaraaine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiaraaine/gifts).

> Chapter 1 fills my AU Bingo B2 square - Angels and Demons.
> 
> Oh boy, has this been fun to write!

Steve organized his work area with care.Everything clean, ready for use, and waiting for the spark that would bring his imagination to life on living flesh.

When he’d started his BA in Fine Arts, he hadn’t really planned a career as a tattoo artist.He’d sort of fallen into it one summer when he’d been looking for a part time job to subsidize his tuition.Then he’d fallen in love with the way art came alive on skin, and he’d never looked back.He completed his degree while interning at the shop, and eventually earned his license and a full-time berth at Midgard aka Thor’s Ink.He’d been happily working there ever since.

Steve had his regulars, and he specialized in first-timers, folks who might be nervous or unsure about their first tattoo.He had a way about him that put people at ease. It might be his small stature, or his puckish grin, maybe the unruly blond hair that peeked haphazardly out from underneath his beanie, possibly even the pens and pencils that somehow found their way behind both ears and even through the knit of his beanie.Or maybe it was his art. Steve was proud of his work, but he’d never claim he was better than anyone else. He knew in his heart that the art that he created with his subject’s cooperation was something special.But he believed it was as much him as his subject, a partnership that was both unique and profound.

His approach to ink was empowering to the person receiving, liberating even.Some might even say he had a little touch of magic in him.

&&&

Bucky’d been around for a long time, and he was bone-weary.He just wanted to go home, to rest in Elysium.To be among his own kind, free, and not shackled to this mudball of a planet, or trapped among its sweaty, scurrying, oblivious masses.

That was not to say that there weren’t things to love about Earth.Because he did love it.That’s how he found himself in his predicament of being Earth-bound for so long.Once upon a time, he’d loved it too much, taken too strong a stand in defense of the inhabitants of this world.He’d taken an unpopular stance, the wrong side of a political equation, and he’d been paying the price ever since, a soldier on the losing side, punished for his conviction.

He wasn’t alone.He had friends from the firmament who’d also found themselves barred from Heaven and all of its privileges.Not because God hated him, or chose to punish him.No, because the party currently in power was petty and small, and unworthy to sit at the right hand of God.He knew this to be true, but it didn’t change anything.So he and his fellow fallen met every Thursday night for poker, beer, and nachos to die for.All these things - his friends, their games, the beer, and the snacks - were among the things he loved about Earth.One night a week, though, was not enough to lift the spirits of an Earth-bound angel longing for home.

There were stories, he knew, of angels who’d reclaimed their wings.It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t fast.Over the centuries, there had been rumors of angels who’d found the perfect combination of artist and art, releasing the angel within so that their wings would once again carry them up, up, up to where they belonged.And so, Bucky continued to search for the right artist. 

He’d been patron to many artists over his long life.He’d been the subject of many a piece, too.But so far, that perfect combination had eluded him.

So it surprised him when he was walking down the street in Brooklyn, past storefronts and cafes, bars and shops, a tattoo parlor of all things seemed to call out to him.

Curious, he opened the door and stepped inside.

&&&

“James.”

Bucky looked up ... and up some more.And was surprisingly unsurprised to find himself looking up at the smiling visage of Thor, the Norse God of Thunder.Who seemed equally unsurprised to have a fallen angel standing in the waiting room of ... his ... tattoo parlor.Really, Bucky needed to work on his situational awareness - Thor’s name was prominently plastered all over the signage.So he did what any self-respecting angel would do.He corrected the god.

“It’s Bucky.”

“Ah. Of course it is.I haven’t seen you in quite the age.How fare thee?”

“Thee? Seriously, Thor?”

“Old habits and all that,” he shrugged.“And what brings you to my humble establishment?”

“I expect you know.”

“You are the only one of the Seraphim to find their way here.Which I find odd in and of itself.”

“How so? Me finding you, or me being the only one?”

“You being the only one.Do not the others seek re-entry to Heaven?”

“I think some of them are resigned.Or they’ve gone native.”

“But not you.”

“Not so far.At least in my quest, I’ve enjoyed wonderful art.If nothing else, my soul remains nourished.”

“Ah.I think that is perhaps how you found me, eh? You have opened yourself to the beauty of this world.As have I.On a future visit, you must meet my wife.She is very, very smart, and her sense of humor is dry as dust.”

“Wife? From Asgard -“

“Jane is of Earth.Although I do hope to one day show her the stars.”

“Human, then.”

“Yes.With all the fire and passion of a soul that burns bright and fades all too soon.I will soon be forced to make a decision I have delayed for too many centuries.”

Bucky knew what decision Thor referenced.Each of the immortals faced a moment when they were ready to decide if their impossibly long lives should continue, or if it was time to end their endless existence.But what Thor was suggesting ...

“You’d end it for your human lover?”

“Wife.The love of my very, very long life.And not end it, per se.Merely ... rescale it.To grow old with the woman I love.I think that would be a noble choice, don’t you?”

Bucky shook his head.“I’ve never - that’s a human emotion -“

“Surely not.Is not love the gift of the divine?I have never felt more alive than I do loving Jane.I do not wish to see the universe fade without her at my side.And besides, death of the body is merely a transition of the soul.”

“I ... huh.Well, I don’t know that I’ll ever feel that way about one of them.But if one of them can ... you know.”

“Restore you?” Bucky nodded.Thor smiled again.“Come, meet the artists.See if any of them bear the spark you seek.”

&&&

Steve was finishing up at his station when Loki, Thor’s brother, came over to lounge against the doorjamb, his arms crossed over his chest as he observed Steve with a small smile.

“What?”

“Impressive job with the mastectomy.You have a deft touch, Steven.”

“It’s important.She’s lost so much of herself already.Watching her face as she saw it for the first time -“ Steve broke off, feeling a surge of emotion at the woman who saw beauty bloom across her chest where before she’d seen only scar tissue and failure.“I don’t get how someone ties so much of their identity to a body part, y’know?But it’s my honor to make it into something beautiful.”

Loki shrugged.“For women it’s all too often their breasts.Imagine a man if half his dick got cut off - you don't think he’d feel incomplete, ugly?”

“Yeah, okay.Especially if it didn’t work right anymore.But if it just looks weird ... Too much focus on looks, not enough on soul.”

“Mmm.See if you still feel that way after you see the beautiful young man Thor is showing around.”

“Oh? That why you came round?”

“No.I am genuinely impressed with your work today.But you might want to do something about that cowlick before Thor gets here with the newbie.You do want to look your best, don’t you?”

Steve took his beanie off and tried to tame the unruly thatch of hair that always had a mind of its own.After a moment, he gave up and answered, “Think I’ll just let my art speak for me.How about that?”

“How about that, indeed.” Loki started to turn to go, then paused, as if lost in thought.Then he turned back toward Steve and said, “You might want to pull out that design you love so much and put it front and center.”

“Seriously?No one ever wants to have that one.It’s an oddity that everyone just looks right through.”

“Mmm, perhaps.But it is a beautiful piece.Just waiting for the right person, don't you think?”

Steve nodded slowly.That’s exactly how he felt about the piece.He’d drawn it his first summer at Thor’s, when he was still in college.He didn’t know what exactly inspired it, but it was a labor of love, taking up all his spare time until it was finished.Not just a single piece, but an entire torso - back, arms, chest.It was his Pieta, his Sistine Chapel.He longed to be able to etch it into living flesh, to watch it come alive.People would look at it with curiosity and interest, and then they’d politely shake their heads.The less polite would shudder at the sheer commitment the design would demand.And the cost.But Steve swore if he ever found the right person to wear it, he’d donate his time, so the person would only have to pay Thor’s fees.It would be worth it to see it become reality.

Because to finally unleash the design from his imagination into reality would be an honor beyond anything he could imagine.

Loki was still standing there in the doorway, eyebrow raised expectantly and arms crossed over his chest.“Well?”

“All right, all right.No harm, no foul.It’s a good conversation starter if nothing else.Now get outta here - I don’t need you bringin’ down the neighborhood.”

Loki snorted - in a refined manner, of course - and wandered off toward his own room, no doubt already prepped and ready to show off for this mystery client.

As for Steve, he went to his closet and brought out the display board where he’d mounted a copy of his design, various sketches of different angles, the more finished version that acted as a schematic.If nothing else, it showed his process, how he developed an idea into a workable design.Shrugging, he placed the display board so it was the first thing to see when entering his work space.Then he shoved his beanie back in place to contain the cowlick, and tugged out one of his sketch books and started to doodle.

&&&

The first thing Bucky noticed was the design.It was as though the artist could see his true self.And then he had the oddest sensation of movement, of fluttering.As though the wings that had been held captive for centuries in this meat suit were trying to break free.

It was disorienting and disturbing, but it was also delightful. He hadn’t felt his wings in far too long, and just the idea that they were still there filled him with hope and excitement.

And then he saw him.

Petite but not frail.Delicate but not weak.Like silk over steel, beautiful and yet powerful.Eyes the color of the clearest blue sky.Long dark blond lashes to rival the most beautiful woman’s and win. Lips worried red and inviting.A body perfectly proportioned and emblazoned in the most intricate of lines and gradations of color.He glanced at Thor, eyebrow raised.Thor tilted his head self-deprecatingly, acknowledging his handiwork written upon the young man’s skin.The beautiful creature was truly god-touched, not Bucky’s god, but Thor.In truth, the realm of the celestial beings was truly eclectic and non-denominational - religions and faiths were human-made distinctions, after all.Bucky knew many gods with many different groups of followers.He often wished he could communicate to the human world how very silly the petty distinctions were that they made among the gods.

How much their gods did not enjoy their antics inspired by hate, and instead wished only joy and creativity for their followers.

But who would believe an angel whose wings had been clipped?

If seeing the man was arresting, actually having his eyes shift and focus on him was another experience entirely.Bucky would not be exaggerating to call it religious.

“Bucky, this is Steve.Steve, this is Bucky.”

“You,” Bucky felt himself say.“I want you.”

Steve’s gorgeous eyes widened and his mouth fell open soundlessly as Bucky realized what he’d said.He shook his head, and added, “To do my tattoo.I want that,” he added, pointing to the display board with the multiple sketches.

Then Steve’s face glowed with a smile so blinding, Bucky felt like he was in the presence of the Almighty again, showoff that he was.But when Steve spoke, Bucky wondered if he hadn’t just taken on more than an angel could handle.Because when Steve answered, “I think I love you,” Bucky found he couldn’t help but hope it was true.

“Well, I think that settles it, don’t you?Match made in heaven as it were,” Thor was saying with a droll chuckle as he backed out of the room.“Steve, figure out how many sessions you’ll need, and Darcy can work with Bucky to get them scheduled -“

“Oh, no.I’ll do it.I’ll clear my schedule so I can be available whenever you want me,” Steve answered dreamily.

Just as Bucky heard himself say, “Tell me when you want me and I’ll be here.”

“Well, I can see you both have each other well in hand.Right, I’ll be going now ...”

Bucky felt himself wave in Thor’s general direction, saw Steve lift his hand and waggle the fingers, but his attention was centered on Steve.“How soon can we start?” he asked, feeling suddenly more alive than he had in centuries.

&&&


	2. My Vision on Your Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Steve begins to create his perfect design on Bucky’s skin, only to find some unexpected side effects.
> 
> Fills square E1 - Tattoo / Flower Shop AU in my AU Bingo card.

“Thor, this guy’s never been inked.Like, not a speck anywhere, unless he’s hiding a tat on the underside of his balls.His skin is untouched, fucking virgin.And he wants that design?”

“I’m sorry, Steve.I don’t see the problem.”

“He has no fucking clue what he’s letting himself in for.”

“Did you explain?”

“In great detail.”

“Did he sign the consent?”

“Yes ...”

“Steve, your ability to communicate is unimpaired.And you are extraordinary with first-time clients.There has never been a complaint about your work, the clarity of your explanations, about anything to do with you, not in all the years you’ve worked here.I feel comfortable that you’ve made the risks and concerns abundantly clear, and James, er, Bucky, accepts them in full.There is no impediment to you proceeding.”

“He wants to do the whole thing in one session.”

“He’s certifiably insane.But he always has been.Steve, I’ve known Bucky a very long time.He doesn’t take on things he can’t handle.He has infinite patience. And he’s an adult who can made decisions, and speak, for himself. We cool?”

“Yeah, okay.If you say so ...”

“Steve, I do.Now, I agree that trying to do the entire design in on sitting is impossible.It’s too much to expect of either of you.But my friend, remember that this is the client you’ve been waiting for.Enjoy the moment, won’t you?Focus on the experience - it won’t come your way again.There can only be one first time, eh?”

“Yeah.You’re right.Now I gotta explain to this guy that this is gonna take weeks.No, honestly, months.No one can take on that much ink without breaks.He’ll probably bail.”

“I don’t think so.But what do I know, hmm?Now get back in there and create your art, hmm?I have faith in you, Steve.”

“Me, too, Steverino!” called Darcy from where she womanned the front desk.“He’s hot!You better be gettin’ some, or you’n’me are having words, my dude!”

Steve glanced at Thor, who merely shrugged.Darcy was highly valued in every capacity at the shop, and her innuendo was just part of the gig.She was always good for a laugh, and she was the best friend anyone could ask for.

But the last thing Steve wanted was Darcy Lewis guiding his love life.Because Bucky Barnes? He might be nuts, but he was definitely the hottest guy Steve had ever seen.And he was about to make him even hotter.

&&&

“Well, usually people want to think about it before committing to something so, well, big.You’re definitely sure you wanna start now?”

“I am definitely sure.Are you okay now you’ve talked it over with Thor?”

“I’m just concerned, man.This is a huge undertaking.Massive.This is gonna take a couple months if not longer to complete.It’s an incredible commitment on both our parts, and it’s not gonna feel good sometimes.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tattoos can sting at the best of times.But with something this big ... I think it’s safe to say you’re gonna be hurting.It’s gonna be painful.”

Bucky smiled at the earnest young tattoo artist.He appreciated the thought, but physical pain was something he had not felt in a very long time.He’d been walking this earth for hundreds of generations of the humans that occupied it.In that time, he’d seen how quickly humans burned bright and then fell to ash, one after another.He was aware of them, surrounded by them, and occasionally he enjoyed the fruits of them.But as a divine being, he didn’t know pain like them, didn’t share their emotions or their ambitions.He didn’t feel much of anything, except a longing to return from whence he’d come.Until he’d seen that tattoo design.Now what he felt was anticipation, excitement.Hope.Hope of finally going home.

So he gently promised he could take it, and he would let Steve know the moment his ministrations caused him pain.

He laid down on the the fresh linens Steve had placed on the padded table.There was a cutout for his face, and he settled there, trying to keep his limbs straight and loose.He tried to relax into the moment, tamp down the excitement that bubbled through his celestial veins.

And then Steve touched him.He was disrobed to the waist, laying on his stomach, and Steve just gently brushed his fingers along the hairline at the back of Bucky’s neck, as he announced he was testing the alignment to ensure his neck and shoulders were straight, then ghosted along his vertebrae to his shoulders, where Bucky could feel Steve, even at an inch or two away, as a living flame scorching his flesh.His divine flesh that didn’t feel pain.He didn’t feel much of anything, really.Not pain, not pleasure.Not like the ephemeral humans did.He could appreciate beauty, he could savor fine flavors, he could enjoy pleasant textures and colors.He could relish a perfect summer’s day.But he’d never felt want or need.

Until now.

&&&

Bucky’s skin was flawless - smooth, virtually hairless, the skin tone even and practically glowing with health - like, seriously, Steve thought it was glowing at one point, but he closed his eyes, shook his head, and the illusion passed.It was just that Bucky’s skin held that curiously translucent quality that some complexions held - like alabaster, not transparent yet somehow it captured light and reflected it back, as though lit from within. 

But for Steve to see things that weren’t there, that were totally impossible outside an SFX studio ... Seriously, his stamina wasn’t what it was, him seeing things after only two hours into the work.He figured he probably should stock up on energy drinks and protein shakes for the both of them for the duration - it wouldn’t do to start seeing things, and mar Bucky’s perfect skin with the evidence of his weariness.

He was grateful Bucky had turned down his offer of discounted services, actually.He’d never done marathon inking like this - hell, no one at Thor’s had, not even the man himself - and Steve was beginning to realize there were lots of hidden costs, challenges, and adjustments - delays - waiting for him over the next couple of months.

That is, so long as he could keep the hallucinations at bay.

And the inappropriate boners.

Because even though his shoulders were getting tight, and his hands were starting to cramp a bit, he was entranced by the ethereally beautiful man who laid so impossibly still under his needle.

And the sight of his design slowly emerging from the smooth skin of that muscular back, under his steady hand and discerning eye ... he didn’t think he could be more in love with an idea.

But Bucky was more than just an idea.

He wasn’t just the perfect canvas for Steve’s dream tat.He was everything Steve had ever wanted in a guy.At least that’s how he seemed.

Which meant there had to be something epically shitty about him somehow.Because that’s how Steve’s luck worked.

&&&

Bucky was awash in sensation.He’d never understood the attractions of the flesh that so many of his kind had given into over the centuries.He couldn’t imagine giving up one’s chance for redemption in exchange for carnal pleasures.

And then this tiny human with the large hands, impossibly blue eyes, and the soul of a true artist ... touched him.Respectfully, gently, simply.Without expectation or intent, no more than an artist examining his canvas.And yet the touch triggered a cascade of responses that Bucky would be examining for weeks to come.

His skin felt somehow too small to contain his immortal soul, stretched thin over possibility, and straining to feel, to experience, to become one with the infinite.He wanted more.So much more.So much he didn’t even understand. 

He just knew that there was something extraordinary about this Steve Rogers. 

Steve was careful to wear surgical gloves as he worked, and he paused frequently to check in, to swab the flesh that bled from the tiny pinpricks of the needle.Everywhere Steve touched him, even through the gloves, burned with heavenly fire.Bucky felt he might be consumed by it, turned to ash at the mere touch of a mortal.

And the sensations elsewhere ... was this the pleasure that humans chased?Was this what seduced his fellow angels from their quests to return to heaven?

All he knew for certain was that he was both terrified and ensorcelled by this tiny human and the power he wielded unknowingly over this Seraphim.

And he had no intention of letting him go.

&&&

“Have dinner with me.”

Steve paused where he was setting his instruments aside to be cleaned after his session with Bucky was done.He’d finished the outline of the wings on Bucky’s back - next time would be the curl of the wings around his upper arms, and maybe they’d even get to outline the chest as well.Steve didn’t know it was possible to be this tired, and he really learned a lot about his own limits today.He’d finally called it when he kept seeing metallic feathers and strange scales shifting under his hands.He’d tried a couple of breaks, but the hallucination kept coming back a little while into the inking.He was going to have to talk to Thor about it ... maybe even his therapist.He might need his meds tweaked if he was going to proceed with the design ... and damn, he wanted to.

He wanted so much.

And what he wanted had just asked him out to dinner.Looking devastatingly beautiful sitting on the padded bench, buttoning his shirt to cover those acres of gorgeous skin.The expression on Bucky’s face was heartbreakingly vulnerable and hopeful, and Steve felt that curious pull, a tug on his whole body urging him to move closer to Bucky.He shook his head at it, trying to clear the peculiar sensation, and Bucky must have interpreted it as rejection, because his expression immediately faltered into hurt and disappointment.Steve’s heart broke a little at the sight, and he felt the urge to comfort, to console.To touch and hold and ... But as much as he wanted to say yes, he wasn’t sure it was the right move to make.

“Um ...”

Bucky straightened, as though forcing his body to appear more confident.“I feel I owe you - you’ve worked so hard while I’ve just lain here -“

“It’s my job-“

“Oh.”

“No, I didn’t mean it that way. I meant it’s my job to create art on your body while you lay there. Lie there? I’m never sure. But anyway, sorry, I babble when I’m nervous.Not that you make me nervous or anything, but ... oh shit.I’d love to go to dinner with you.Yeah.I’m starving.”

Bucky smiled and laughed, a throaty chuckle that was like mulled wine topped off with aged brandy. Or what Steve imagined those things to be, since he’d never had either.

But he had sat in the bright light of the sun, warmed by its rays, world illuminated by its radiance.And that’s what it felt like when Bucky Barnes smiled at him.

Lord, he was fucked.

&&&


	3. My Soul to Your Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Steve and Bucky get to know each other ...
> 
> Stucky Bingo C2 - Soulmates AU

“James, if I may?” Thor popped his head into Steve’s work area as Steve was putting away the last of his instruments.Bucky was fully dressed, and had been quietly watching Steve work, tossing out a curious question every so often.The give and take - and the silent moments in between - were comfortable, easy.Steve had been looking forward to dinner with Bucky, getting to know him face to face.But now Thor ...

“Um, I’m just waiting for Steve to finish ...” Bucky answered with an endearing awkwardness.

“Ah.Going out together? Excellent.I knew the two of you would hit it off,” Thor announced, clapping his big hands with a glee that was unique to his ebullient personality. 

“Is that, um, is that okay?” Steve asked, swallowing down a suddenly dry and tight throat.

“Why would it not be?” Thor asked, visibly confused by the question.Steve felt that knot of nerves dissolve in the face of his bemused smile.

“Um, I wasn’t sure ...”

“You’re not a doctor, Steve.Even though I truly believe there is great therapeutic value to embellishing one’s skin so it illuminates the soul within.There is no doctor-patient concern here.If that’s what you were asking?”

“Uh, yeah, kinda.”

“Good.Your due diligence becomes you.But no, please, do go to dinner, and do whatever comes naturally.Eh, James?”

Bucky had been silent through the exchange, a delicate pink rising on his cheeks and spilling down his neck to disappear under his shirt.But now he looked up, his face alight with alarm.“Naturally?” he squeaked.

“Yes, naturally,” Thor repeated with a serious expression.“Steve, do you mind if I steal James for a few minutes?I promise I’ll return him intact.”

“Uh, go for it, Thor.If that’s okay with you, Buck -“

“Oh, yeah, of course.Lead on, Thor.”

Steve went back to setting things right in his work area, prepared for the new day tomorrow.He glanced over his shoulder toward where Thor and Bucky had disappeared, and shook his head.Weird.

&&&

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

“No. I’ve never felt ... I’ve never really felt anything before.For a human.Admiration of talent, of course.But ... attraction?Never.”

“The Firmament really is a dour place, isn’t it.”

“I always found it to be wonderful.”

“But now?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, I think you are a lucky angel.First to have found your soulmate.And second that it’s someone as kind and respectful as Steve.”

“Soulmate?”

“Of course.Did you not realize?That has always been the missing ingredient.It’s not talent or a particular piece of art.It’s the blending of two souls that enables the artist to release the angel.”

“So what does that mean?Blending of two souls.If my wings are finally released, I will finally be able to ascend once more -“

“You’ll be capable.Whether you actually want to is another matter.But while you’re mulling that over, you’ll need to tell Steve the truth.”

“That I’m an earthbound angel?He’d never believe it.”

“I’m betting he’s already seeing your true self bleeding through into his reality.If you do not tell him the truth, he will begin to believe he is going mad.And then his belief will become his reality.”

“I’ll drive him mad.How is that possible?”

“Because everything about you is impossible, my friend.To mortals, at least. We are all of us impossibilities in the mortal realm. They’ve moved on without us in their age of reason. Age of disbelief and foolhardiness, if you ask me. Mankind has raised new gods to replace us, but they are mere shadow plays. They are not prepared for true godliness, nor true magic.”

“If I tell him ... what happens with this soulmate business?”

“Your bond will grow deeper, I am certain. You are drawn to him in ways you do not understand, am I right?”

“I have a grasp of ... mechanics. No practical experience. Nor have I wanted any ...”

“Until now.And what? You fear that acting on that desire will close the gates of Heaven to you?”

Bucky nodded slowly.He’d waited millennia to have a chance to re-enter Heaven.Now he’d found his path, only to have temptations he’d never considered suddenly thrust upon him.

“Your faith invests far too much guilt in sex. Yet your God does not. Don’t let the surly interpretations of soured virgin monks color your view of this remarkable celebration of life, my friend. All the negative attitudes are man-made, and they are intended to impose control. You are a celestial being. You are above such nonsense.”

“Am I not above human desires?”

“You’ve lived among them long enough to see civilizations rise and fall. And yet you have managed to keep yourself apart from them.Humans inherit their desires from the gods themselves. Are you above godly desires, angel?”

“I, um, I never thought of it that way.”

“No, of course you haven’t. Too much drama and self-serving interpretation among you lot. You’ve let the worse aspects of human religion infect your thoughts.Steve will be good for you.”

“How so?”

Thor’s smile was slow and sly.“Steve is agnostic. He’s not convinced there is a god - not any of us.He’s a good man not because of some eternal reward awaiting him, but because he’s a naturally good man. And he deserves love. As do you, my friend.As do you.”

“Love.”

“The greatest of human magicks.”

&&&

They sat opposite each other in the restaurant, fiddling awkwardly with their cutlery, not really looking at each other, and uncomfortably silent. The waitress had dropped off their drinks, taken their orders, and left them to their own devices.Which proved to be the most challenging thing she could have done, because the ease in their relationship had suddenly bled out, leaving them both discomfited and nervous.

Finally, Steve set down the fork he’d been toying with, and placed both hands on the table.“I’m not sure I can do such long sessions going forward,” he admitted.

“Oh.Oh, I’m sorry,” Bucky replied, swallowing visibly.“I, uh -“

“It’s not that I don’t like working on you - you have the most amazing skin, really.Whatever your regimen is, you gotta tell me.But I dunno, man.I’ve never put in hours like that on a single design, and I swear to whatever, I’m seeing things.”

“Things?”

“Yeah.Like real feathers made out of metal but flexible like skin, you know? Moving like their flexing.And these silvery scales, overlapping like armor but shifting under the needle.And I swear your skin was glowing, like lit from inside like those luminarias at Christmas, and man, I just dunno!”Steve raked his hand through his hair, scraping it back from his forehead.“It’s a weird kinda stamina issue, I guess.But if I’m seeing shit, then I’d be nervous I’d do something wrong on your skin, and I’m not willing to risk that.”

“Feathers made of living metal.Silvery scales like armor.Flesh lit from within like heavenly fire.” Bucky recapped, and the way he said it caught Steve off guard.He turned and looked at Bucky intently, and Bucky looked back with equal gravity.

“Yeah.Like something out of a sci-fi movie.Or maybe an illuminated manuscript.I think I saw something like it in one of my Ma’s books on angels, actually.I mean, these are elements of my design, but we’re nowhere near that point in the inking -“

“You’re not seeing things.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Well, you are.But it’s not a stamina thing.And you are not hallucinating.”

Steve giggled at that .“Aw, man! You got a weird sense of humor, Bucky Barnes.But I appreciate the attempt,” Steve waved his hand in salute.

“I’m not being funny.”

“Yeah you are.You’re hilarious.”

“I’m serious.”

“Well ...”

“I am. Thor told me I have to tell you the truth or it will drive you mad.”

“Well, I gotta admit that working on you and not being able to - yeah, you do kinda drive me mad.So, you asking me out on a date, well ... maybe it won’t be so bad, y’know?”

“No.I really don’t.I’m not good at this ... interpersonal stuff.But I meant mad for real.Insane.I could hurt you, even though that’s the last thing I would ever want.”

“I don’t think you could ever hurt me, Buck.You’re too nice a guy for that.I mean, I can’t remember the last time I went out with a guy who opens doors for me, and pulls out my chair.Who really listens.I feel like when you look at me, you really see me.That just doesn’t happen, y’know?Guys who ask me out, they got one thing on their minds.”

“Tattoos?”

“Fucking.Me.”

“Oh.I don’t ...”

“I know.It’s a nice change of pace.But I hope that that’s not off the table.Eventually.”

“No, I mean, I don’t know how.I’ve never -“

“Never?”

“Never wanted to before.You’re special.And that’s why I have to tell you the truth.” 

“Well, thanks, Buck.You’re kinda special yourself.And wow.So I’d be your first?” Steve asked, a little breathless at the idea.Bucky nodded solemnly, and Steve couldn’t help but smile.He reached across the table and laid his hand over Bucky’s and squeezed gently.“So, okay.What’s this truth bomb you gotta lay on me, huh?”

Bucky opened his mouth and closed it again with a snap heard at the next table.The couple there, a pair of professionals who hadn’t shed their office attire before coming out for dinner, turned as a unit and stared at Bucky with reproachful gazes.Steve gritted his teeth, waved his hand in front of Bucky’s face and said, “Hi there.Private conversation.You mind?”

The woman huffed theatrically while the man smiled like he’d just swallowed sour milk, but they turned away, leaving Bucky frowning, and Steve leaning forward on his elbows, smiling encouragingly at his companion under upraised eyebrows.

“Go on.”

Bucky lifted the corner of his napkin - a real cloth napkin, because Bucky said he wanted to take Steve somewhere worthy of him.He fiddled with it for a moment before shaking his head, frowning.“After dinner.After we leave.This really should be a private conversation,” he added with a worried glance to the yuppies next door.

“Okay,” Steve agreed easily.The waitress arrived a moment later, so Steve pulled his hand back, smiled at Bucky, and tucked in.

&&&

As firsts go, Bucky counted himself lucky.He’d never been on a date before, and only had the vaguest cinematic and television references to go on.A few books where dating was tangential to the plot.He was woefully ill-equipped for the experience, had been frankly terrified of the expectations, and been pleasantly surprised that once they got the initial awkwardness out of the way, they flowed back into the same easy patterns of the afternoon while Steve had etched beauty into his flesh.He could almost feel his wings now, undulating under the skin.It was a heady and peculiar feeling, where they’d been dormant and stagnant for so very long.

The meal had been the best he could remember.The flavors were intense and the aromas were beyond anything he’d ever experienced here in the mortal realm.He wondered briefly if the cook were God-touched, and then he realized it was more likely the soulmate thing.Everything was more intense than he could remember since falling to Earth - color, sound, taste, scent.Sensation. 

Thor had said he lived in the world but was not of it.Was this what he’d been missing these many centuries?Holding himself pure, apart, denying himself the experience of the world his God had made?

He realized that perhaps he’d sold these humans short all this time.An amazing realization after thousands of years. He felt rather foolish, to be honest.

But the meal was over, and now they were strolling down the street together, side by side but not touching.Then Steve leaned into his space and asked softly, “May I?” as he glanced down at Bucky’s hand. 

And then they were holding hands.And it was just one more marvelous thing he experienced for the first time that day.The wonder of connection.

They walked like that for a few more blocks until Steve paused and glanced up at a tidy brownstone with a tiny plot of grass surrounded by a low brick wall and a wrought iron railing running along one side.The stairs led up to a dark wood door with a leaded glass insert that made the space beyond look like drenched watercolors.

“This is me.I know you want to take things slow, and I respect that.But if you want to have that private conversation, then I think maybe come up for a cup of coffee?Tea?I can make you hot chocolate if you like.Or a soda.Something. I think I have some wine if you want.Water, even.”

Bucky smiled at the torrent of words that spilled out of Steve, and found he couldn’t help himself reach to touch his face gently, noting the heat where Steve blushed.He’d heard of touch being electric, but nothing had prepared him for the sense of completion he felt touching Steve’s face.Or the sheer terror when he looked into Steve’s eyes and saw his soul laid bare.Trust, compassion, desire, and something undefinable he thought just might be love.And with a shock, he realized he felt the same.

He smiled then, feeling reckless and bold, and leaned in like he’d seen in movies.“May I kiss you?” he breathed softly.

“I’m gonna kick you in the nuts if you don’t.So, yeah.Please.”

And Steve’s hands fisted in Bucky’s shirt, dragging him close, and then their lips touched, and Bucky felt a surge of power unlike anything he’d felt since he’d left the firmament.

Steve stepped back, dazed, shocked, breath knocked out of him.“Holy fuck!” he exclaimed.

Bucky had to agree.

&&&


	4. I Might Have to Kiss You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which truth is spoken, emotions are wild, and a god makes an appearance.
> 
> This fills my Fictober day 5 prompt, I Might Have to Kiss You.

Steve’s apartment was nice. Not too big, not too small, just right in size, with homey touches that welcomed, and flashes of color and line that were quintessentially Steve.Bucky had the urge to linger, and study, and commit every line and texture and scent to memory.

Instead, he followed Steve’s lead into the comfortable looking living room, with its vintage but well-made couch, its charcoal gray barrel chairs, and its one big easy chair facing the wall-mounted television, controllers and joysticks stuffed beside the cushions.Bucky found himself looking around curiously, waiting for something that seemed strangely absent.

“Where’s your cat?”

“I don’t have a cat.”

“I thought sure you had a cat.”

“I want a cat.But I’m waiting.”

“Waiting for what?”

“Someone to share it with.The right partner.”

“Ah.I think you should get a cat.”

“I think it’s a subject we’ll have to discuss.”

“Let’s.”

“Not right now.Later.You promised me a private conversation.So have a seat.And what would you like to drink?”

“You said something about hot chocolate?” Bucky asked hopefully.He had a sweet tooth, something he shared with most earthbound angels.For some reason, the transition from Heaven to Earth seemed to come with a craving for sweets.It had long been, he was loathe to admit, the one significant thing he liked about humanity - their ability to create heavenly sweets.Other than their art.And music.And certain foods.He was especially partial to pizza and nachos.At least on poker nights.

But now, sitting on Steve’s comfy couch, in his cozy space, Bucky wanted the comfort of a warm beverage cradled in his hands, the heady aroma and yummy taste a welcome distraction from the unbelievable truths he needed to share.

To share with a human who was suddenly more important to him than anyone else on this plane.And perhaps more than anyone or anything else in Bucky’s long, long life.

The recognition of this fast was revelatory. He’d never imagined himself considering anything more important than returning to Heaven. And yet this tiny human, this meatbag, inspired emotions unlike anything Bucky had ever experienced.Feelings, both physical and emotional.Needs.

Ignorant of the turmoil these thoughts inspired in Bucky, Steve just smiled fondly at him and trotted off to his kitchenette, and busied himself with preparing the drinks.“Marshmallows?Whipped cream?”

“Would you think less of me if I said yes to them both?”

“I’d think less of you if you didn’t.Never trust a guy who’s light on the ‘mallows, that’s my motto.”

“Okay.Well, I guess that means you can trust me.”

“Kinda bankin’ on it, Buck,” Steve said then with more emotion that Bucky was expecting.

And this both touched and frightened Bucky.For thousands of years he’d had only acquaintances, immortal creatures like himself who walked among men but were never truly at home with them.Who didn’t form attachments with ephemeral humans.Who didn’t crave the approval or affection of God’s short-lived creatures.

Yet here he sat, about to reveal his greatest truths to this man he’d known for less than a full day’s turn of the planet.More than that, he would commit him to his cause, involve Steve in a reality that might tax the resources of his very human mind, at the same time Bucky was facing committing himself in ways he truly could not comprehend.

Was he asking too much of Steve? Or himself?

Thor seemed to think no.More, that it was necessary for Steve’s own health, and Bucky’d eternal soul.Even more disconcerting, Bucky realized that he needed Steve to understand, to accept.To embrace what Bucky was, and to support his quest.

Just as he needed things he didn’t understand from Steve. He could only hope Steve did.

He’d been caught up in his own thoughts and missed whatever it was that Steve was saying, and started guiltily when he realized Steve was standing right next to him, extending a steaming mug of hot chocolate to him.

“Where’d you go, Buck?” he asked, brow furrowed under a shock of wheat-colored hair.“Looked like you didn’t wanna be here.You okay?”

Bucky looked up at Steve and realized that it was already too late.He’d fallen for this tiny, fierce, beautiful human.The mere thought of not having him in his life going forward terrified Bucky in way he’d never before experienced.And for a fleeting moment, he wondered how he could endure eternity in Heaven without Steve at his side.Then he was filled with a strange certainty.

He couldn’t.

Choking back a sudden sob, he shook his head slightly.“I think I’m overwhelmed,” he replied simply, because it was impossible to put into the words the complex interplay of thoughts and emotions that threatened to consume him.

Again that gentle smile, eyes full of compassion and understanding.Steve laid a reassuring hand on Bucky’s shoulder and nudged the mug of hot chocolate - more marshmallows and whipped cream than hot chocolate - into Bucky’s hands.“Not going anywhere, Buck.We got time. Go at your own pace, okay?”

Bucky accepted the steaming mug and breathed the sweet vapor in deep, nodding as he wrest his attention from Steve’s luminous face and directed it instead to the drink that Steve had so kindly made him.Narrowing his focus seemed to help - instead of the chaos of too many thoughts and too many emotions, contemplation of the smells and warmth - in his hands and in his heart - seemed to calm him, and in a few moments, he felt better able to continue.

He listened to the sound of Steve sipping quietly at his mug, felt the heat of the mug in his own hands, smelled the sweet aroma, the fresh washed scent of Steve sitting so close, the specific heat of Steve’s body ... as he sifted through each, he found greater clarity.

And with it came the fear.

Fear that not only would Steve not believe him, but that Steve would find cause to leave him.That what they could have would be over before it even began.

“Aren’t you selling him short?” he’d swear he heard Thor say.And maybe he had - who could tell what a god could or couldn’t hear if he chose to listen in?

“Better?” Steve asked quietly, then blew across his drink.“My Ma said there wasn’t anything a good cup of cocoa couldn’t fix.She was wrong, of course, but it gives you a minute to breathe, you know?And sometimes taking that moment’s all you need to figure it out.”

Bucky was silent for a moment, mimicking Steve’s cooling action.Then he nodded.“Yes, I think so.I’m sorry, Steve. I ... I’ve never ...”

“It’s okay, Buck.Do what you gotta.”

Nodding again, Bucky drew in a slow, measured breath, then let it out just as deliberately.“Okay,” he said, more to himself than to Steve.Then he put down his mug carefully, and swiveled to look directly at Steve.

Once again he was caught by the beautiful spirit that shone through Steve’s pores.And he realized that Steve’s spirit was as eternal as Bucky’s.And Thor’s words came back to him then.Not ending his eternal life to be with his mortal wife, simply rescaling it. 

Because their souls would go on.Together, the way they were meant to be.

And the thought warmed Bucky where he’d been cold with fear.

He reached for Steve’s hand then, feeling more settled in this impossible situation.“I know you don’t believe in such things, but the truth is, I am an angel.”

“I know you are, Bucky.I know it’s early, but I gotta say ... you’re everything I’ve wanted in a ... boyfriend,” he said with a rush of air.Bucky felt that maybe he’d wanted to say something else, but boyfriend would do for the moment.

But that didn’t resolve his problem.Of course, Steve didn’t believe him.“No, I don’t mean it as a colloquialism.I mean that I am an angel, barred from Heaven for thousands of your years, remanded to walk the earth without my wings, without re-entry to Heaven.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You don’t believe me.”

“I don’t believe in angels.Not God, either.”

“No gods at all?”

“Nope.I mean, my Ma was Catholic.But when the cancer found her, God was nowhere to be found.Better to not believe in him than to hate him for letting her die like that.”

“I’m sorry about your mother.I think I understand what you’re saying, but it doesn’t change the fact that I am an angel, and I was one of God’s warriors, until I was cast out. Whether you believe or not makes no difference to the reality that we exist.”

“Okay, let’s say I believe you - which I don’t think I do - why’d you get kicked out?”

“I chose the wrong side in a dispute.Those of us who supported ... well, let’s just say I wasn’t on the winning side.”

“Did you follow Lucifer?”

“The Morningstar?No, that conflict was long ago.Before your earth was even new.But the Firmament has long been split into factions.Those who believe that all creations are divine.And those who believe that only angels have the divine spark.”

“And which side did you back?”

“I see evidence of the divine all around me.The God I believe in is not a petty one, and she loves all creation both equally and distantly.She plays no part in the individual lives of humans anymore than she does of angels, Xandarians, Kree, or Skrull.And she is not the only creator, nor is she the only God.But she is eternal, and I have served her for longer than you would be able to comprehend.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Steve asked then, and Bucky was shocked to realized that Steve was crying, fat, hot tears streaming down his face, snot starting to slide out of his nose, cheeks and nose reddening.“We were having a nice time.Why’d you have to go and make it weird?Why’d you have to ruin everything?”

“Ruin?No!No, Steve, I have to tell you the truth so you’ll understand that when you see the metal feathers and the scales - you’re seeing me, the real me, the me that’s been trapped on Earth these many centuries.You are the first creature, earthbound or celestial, who’s seen me as my true self since I was cast down to the Earth!”

“Look, this is bullshit, Bucky.You don’t have to put on this act, you don’t have to lie to make yourself special -“

“I’m not lying, Steve.I’m telling you the truth -“

“I think you should go.”

“Steve -“

“I think this was a mistake.Look, you can find another artist. I can provide the diagrams and shit and someone else can finish the project -“

“You’re the only one who can.Only you.I can only love you -“

“Love? You come in here and shovel this shit and you call that love?”

“Perhaps you require some assistance?” Bucky heard Thor whisper.

He stopped, caught his breath, and said softly, “Call Thor.”

“What’s my boss got to do with it?”

“You’ll see.”

“I - this better not be more of your bullshit.You got no right to ruin my workplace, too, goddammit!”

“Call Thor.”

“I ... Okay. I’ll call Thor. And if he says he doesn’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, will you go then?”

“If he denies me, then yes.”

Just then, Steve’s phone rang. He thumbed the lock screen with a huff of annoyance, only to stare at it with a mighty frown.Then he accepted the call.“Yeah?”

“Go to your balcony, Stephen,” Thor instructed.Bucky felt himself relax fractionally - he had worried that the God of Thunder might choose to abandon him. Gods could be capricious, after all.And his brother was Loki, Lord of Mischief.

“I don’t have a balcony, Thor.I got a fire escape.”

“Ah. That is made of metal, is it not?”

“Yeah, they usually are.”

“Then don’t go out there. Watch from inside. I cannot promise exacting aim - I am, after all, a bit out of practice.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Steve asked even as he jerked his head toward the window that let out onto the fire escape, signaling Bucky to follow.

“Just look up at the sky and watch.”

&&&

The sky was clear, just as it had been when they were walking home from the restaurant.The pinpricks of stars were lost in the haze of light that hovered over New York, but the moon was a diffuse light in the background, the edges of the orb soft and indistinct. If Steve were less angry, less hurt, he might have looked at the sky and thought it romantic.Instead, he was impatient and churlish, anxious to get whatever joke was being played at his expense over, and get back to his life before Bucky Barnes walked into it and turned it into absolute shit.

But ... if Thor was in on it, too ... then the life he’d come to love was over, and he was looking at starting over. Worse, starting over from a deficit.

He felt grief, desolation, pain well up in a dreadful mix. How could one person so completely up-end a life, be so incredibly destructive while looking so devastatingly beautiful?

He chewed on his lip as he leaned out on the window jam, staring up as instructed, Bucky standing a respectful distance back in the apartment.

He started to shrug and pull back into the apartment when he saw the bursts of light in the distance, a swirling dance like faeries waging war over Manhattan.He frowned. Okay. Pretty, but not in any way special. He didn’t think. Astronomy or weather weren’t his thing. 

Then the bursts started to come closer, arranging into what looked like a formation. But that was nuts.Unless someone was fucking around with drones, but even Steve didn’t embrace conspiracy theories where the government was tracking him with drones.He left that fantasy to his old friend Tony.

But the lights ... they seemed ... directed.Under control.And suddenly they broke apart, some driving toward the stars, others toward the Earth.And two were coming straight for his window.

“Shit!” he swore, dragging himself back into the apartment where he collided, back to chest, with Bucky.Bucky, who stood fast, his hands gently holding Steve’s upper arms.

“He always was a show-off,” he breathed then, a chuckle evident in the voice right next to Steve’s ear. 

And despite his hurt and anger, Steve had to admit to himself that that voice did stuff to him.Sinful stuff. Which ... well.So not the point right now.

And suddenly the two lights - orbs, maybe, small enough to fit in the palm of Steve’s hand - stopped, right over the railing, hovering a couple of inches above the metal.

And they just rested there, twinkling, crackling with energy.Energy that seemed to be building, even as the orbs seemed to grow in size, getting brighter.

Steve was about to shrug off Bucky’s hands when Bucky’s fingers dug into his arms, just as the orbs grew brighter, and lightning lanced down from the sky in a spectacular show that left the air suffused with ozone, and after-images flickering against the back of Steve’s eyes.

“What the fuck?”

“Wait,” Bucky whispered then.

Then he heard it.The sounds of something moving through the air, spinning. Fast. Steady. Closer.

And there was Thor, descending slowly as he idly spun what looked like a mallet or hammer in one hand.

Strangely, Steve knew it was real by the fuzzy Stitch slippers on Thor’s big feat, the pink plaid flannel sleep pants, and the t-shirt stretched across his massive chest, emblazoned with “Astrophysics - like magic but real!”Yeah, he was pretty sure that was Jane’s, but looking at Thor hover, enveloped in a crackling halo of energy ... Steve really didn’t have words.Like any. He didn’t know what words were.He just stared openmouthed at his boss, then twisted around to see Bucky’s beautiful face looking open, vulnerable, and oh so beautiful.

“Any questions, Steven?” Thor asked then, his regular voice, but with an undercurrent of ... booms. Thunder.

Shit.

“Are you ...?”

“Thor, god of Thunder? Why yes, Steven, I am.”

“So does that mean that,” he hooked a thumb over his shoulder at Bucky.

“That James is an angel, a Seraphim? Yes, yes it does, Steven.”

“I -“

“So.We cool?”

“Uh -“

“James, I think it’s time you learned how to care for your human. We can talk later.For now I think I’d better get back undercover before your government decides to investigate.I have no interest in breaking another detention center so soon after the last one.I’ll see you in the morning, Steven.And James - you hurt Steven, and I will hunt you down with every weapon at my godly disposal.Be good to one another - what you have is rare and precious, worth cherishing and husbanding. Ah, husbands! Well, that’s for another day. Do remember that as god of fertility, I am also able to officiate over marriages. I even have a license I’m New York!” he added with a grin before throwing his hammer up into the air, twirling madly as it snatched him up into the heavens.

“I -“

“Was that real?” Steve gasped out a few moments later, after his brain came back online. The hurt, the fear, the pain ... they were gone, replaced by wonder, curiosity.And hope.

Bucky drew a breath and paused a moment before answering.“Yes,” he replied gravely.

“So you really are,” he gulped, “an angel.Like, from God.Oh fuck, am I going to Hell because I don’t believe -“

“Hell is something humans made up. God isn’t looking to punish you for not believing in her. Your life is yours to lead, and you can believe whatever you want to believe.She didn’t create your reality to be a bossy bitch,” Bucky grinned then.“She created it because she thought it was a good idea.But she’s left it to you humans and other sentient entities to manage it on your own.Police yourselves and be responsible for the gift you’ve been given.”

“So I don’t need to suddenly start going to church.”

“You won’t find her there. She doesn’t live inside buildings of stone, or colored glass windows, or reliquaries.She’s everywhere in the divine spark that drives the universe.She’s in you,” he laid a soft hand on Steve’s sternum, “and she’s in me,” he laid his other hand on his own chest. “But she doesn’t require belief or sacrifice - or hate - to be there. She just is.”

“Huh.And Thor?”

“He’s a little more hands on. He’s always loved to be among humans.Loki, too.”

“So. angel.”

“So, human.”

“So what I see - it’s the real you.The tat -“

“Will free my wings. Not because of the art so much as the artist, apparently.You and I ... we were meant to be.I have waited so long for you, and now ...”

“Now ... now, I might just kiss you.What do you think?”

“I think that’s a very good idea.But close your eyes and put your hands on my shoulders first.”

Steve did was he was bid, leaning into a kiss that was every bit as intense and incredible as the first. But this time ... this time he could feel the flex and flutter of massive wings unfurling at Bucky’s back, feather soft and scales even softer as Bucky’d arms closed around him, and his lips chased his.

And he felt finally ... home.

END

**Author's Note:**

> I’ll be posting chapters quickly in order to be able to share the final chapter, which fills my day 5 Fictober 2019 prompt.
> 
> As usual, I couldn’t take a prompt and write what I’d read before. I hope you enjoy this take on several tropes as I make them my own!


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